Effectiveness of comprehensive nursing care combined with an intermittent pneumatic compression device for preventing lower extremity venous thrombosis in long-term bedridden elderly patients: A prospective controlled study

To evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive nursing care combined with an intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) device in preventing lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in long-term bedridden elderly patients. This prospective controlled study included 180 long-term bedridden elderly patients admitted between July 2022 and January 2024. Due to routine clinical practice, participants were not randomly assigned but allocated to control or intervention groups based on physician judgment and patient preference. The control group (n = 81) received conventional nursing care, while the intervention group (n = 99) received IPC treatment combined with comprehensive nursing care. After 2 weeks, DVT incidence, lower limb circumference differences, coagulation indices (prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, D-dimer), Numerical Rating Scale pain scores, and nursing satisfaction were compared. The intervention group showed significantly greater reductions in thigh and calf circumference differences ( P  < .001). Prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were significantly prolonged, while fibrinogen and D-dimer levels were significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to controls (all P  < .001). DVT incidence was significantly lower in the intervention group (13.13% vs 33.33%, P  = .001). Numerical Rating Scale pain scores decreased more markedly in the intervention group ( P  < .001), and nursing satisfaction was significantly higher (94.95% vs 82.72%, P  = .008). Comprehensive nursing care combined with IPC treatment was associated with reduced lower limb swelling, improved coagulation parameters, lower DVT risk, enhanced pain relief, and higher nursing satisfaction in long-term bedridden elderly patients.